Amritsar, May 7
A seven-member deputation of the Congress, led by spokesman for the All-India Congress Committee Manish Tiwari, will meet the Chief Election Commission, Prime Minister, union home minister and law minister within a couple of days to demand deployment of paramilitary forces for the Amritsar (South) Assembly byelection, scheduled to be held on May 22.

This was stated by president of the PPCC Rajinder Kaur Bhattal while talking to The Tribune here today. The other members of the deputation are Iqbal Singh, secretary, AICC, Parminder Singh, general secretary, PPCC, Avtar Singh Brar and Tej Parkash Singh, both MLAs.

The PPCC chief alleged that the senior leadership of the ruling SAD and the BJP, including Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, had been camping in Amritsar to pressurise the local administration to favour the candidate of the ruling party.

She alleged that the state government had decided to withdraw one security man from each MLA of the Congress on the pretext of the elections while sparing the legislators of the ruling party.

She alleged that the entire state machinery had been put into service to work in favour of the ruling candidate, hence a free and fair bypoll was not possible.

Citing SAD and BJP candidates pitted against one another in Zila Parishad and Block Samiti elections, she said it was a proof enough that their “honeymoon” was over.

Meanwhile, it was learnt that Mohinder Singh Kaypee , working president of the PPCC, would visit the residence of Harjinder Singh Thekedar, former MLA-turned rebel.

Bir Devinder Singh, chief spokesman, PPCC, clarified that he had not threatened Thekedar with disciplinary action, if he failed to fall in line of the Congress. He said he had not given any derogatory statement against Thekedar.

Ropar\Kharar, May 7
The Ropar and Kharar administrations are burning the midnight oil to brace themselves for the ensuing Block Samiti elections. Not only are the staff members working till late at night, but were also found working on Parshuram Jayanti today, which was declared a government holiday.

At Ropar, the entire staff is busy in the election process. On the day of the withdrawal of nominations, the staff, including deputy commissioner Baldeo Purushartha, was in the office till 2 pm. Apart from dealing with withdrawals, the staff members were also busy sorting out ballot boxes. “Holding election is a very, very cumbersome process and all our employees are almost working round the clock,” Purushartha said.

There are five Panchayat Samitis in Ropar, including Anandpur Sahib, Morinda, Ropar, Nurpur Bedi and Chamkaur Sahib. While Anandpur Sahib has 24 zones, Morinda and Chamkaur Shaib have 15 zones each, Ropar has 21 zones and Nurpur Bedi has 16 zones. Besides, there are 10 Zila Parishads in the district.

The staff at the SDM office, Kharar, too, have been putting up till 10 pm, processing applications and making the entire data of 25 zones in Kharar block. Today too the entire staff, including SDM R.K. Gupta, was working. On the day of nomination filing and withdrawal of forms, the staff had put up till 10 pm. Similarly, on the day of scrutiny of nomination papers, the staff had to put up till 11 pm. A few over-stressed employees have even fallen ill and are having backache and headache problems. All staff members, including the SDM, naib tehsildar and executive officer of the municipal committee, put up till late at night.

Kharar comprises 25 zones, including Mullapur Garibdass, Ghogga, Kumbada, Patto, Bakarpur, Gobindgarh, Badala, Allahpur, Manoli, Mote Majra, Lakhnaur, Durali, Badi Karoran, Jandpur, Gharuan, Machipur, Chhapar Chidi, Balongi and other areas.

Chandigarh, May 7
Punjab and Chandigarh has perhaps the highest per capita mobile connectivity in the country that has witnessed an unprecedented 460 per cent growth in the past three years.

Every second person in Punjab and Chandigarh has a mobile connection. At the national level, one in every four persons has a mobile connection.

A. Raja, union minister of Information and technology, released these figures in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

Interestingly, the density of mobile phones in Punjab is almost as good as in Mumbai. While Mumbai outscores Punjab in population, it has 1.36 crore mobile connections. The rest of Maharashtra has 2.10 crore mobile users.

From 5.68 crore connections on March 31, 2005, the number of mobile users touched 26.10 crore on March 31, this year. Punjab and Chandigarh, with a combined population of 2.30 crore, had on March 31, this year, 1.17 crore mobile connections compared to 64.01 lakh connections in Haryana and 22.99 lakh in Himachal Pradesh.

Jammu and Kashmir, where mobile connectivity was allowed only some years ago, witnessed a record 305.59 per cent growth in 2005-06 that suddenly dropped to 33.79 per cent in 2006-07 and 47.65 per cent in 2007-08. As of March 31 this year, there are 22.01 lakh mobile connections in the state.

Though Punjab’s growth in mobile telephony during the past three years has been 45.11 in 2005-06, 53.14 in 2006-7 and 40.07 in 2007-08, other states with a much higher growth rate still have lower per capita mobile connectivity than the national average.

For example, Haryana recorded 78.84 per cent growth in 2005-06 that touched 99.55 per cent in 2006-07, but the overall per capita mobile connectivity is still less than one to four.

Last year, the maximum growth was witnessed in the hill states of Assam, North-East and Chhattisgarh where the mobile connections grew by more than 100 per cent each.

One of the reasons for the near-saturation level in Punjab and Chandigarh has been the affordability as well as tower connectivity.

Kolkata and Chennai have almost the density of mobile telephony and witnessed almost identical growth rate during the past three years. Delhi, however, is far ahead of other cosmopolitans with a total number of 1.62 crore mobile connections.

Another state where mobile telephony has been growing rapidly is Uttar Pradesh. It has now 2.84 crore connections after recording over 70 per cent annual growth during the past three years. The same is the case with Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal where the new mobile connections are becoming operational with an average growth rate of over 80 per cent a year.

Chandigarh, May 7
To prevent and manage forest fires in the state, the Punjab Forest Department has launched an integrated forest protection scheme. This was disclosed by senior forest officers to Tikshan Sud, forest minister, Punjab, at a meeting here today.

The minister said the Punjab government was quite concerned about the increasing incidents of forest fires and had constructed 97 observation towers, mainly in hilly areas under the Punjab Afforestation Project for the timely detection and control of forest fires. He said under the scheme 1,000 km of fire lines, four water storage structures each of 1 lakh-litre capacity and one fire tender had been provided during the current year.

B.C. Bala, principal chief, Consevation of Forests, explained that during the current fire season, 124 fires had already been reported affecting 6,537.4 hectares of forest area of the state. Due to these fires, 56 trees and 7,150 other saplings were affected. The estimated loss on account of damage to trees was about Rs 56,000 and damage to plants Rs 3,50,000. He said forest fire season generally commenced from April 1 and extended up to June 15.

During the fire season, fires occur due to abundance of dry and highly inflammable biomass such as grass, leaves, twigs in the forest. The incidences and intensity of fires are cyclical in nature. Generally, there is a five-six year cycle of periodicity of high incidences of forest fire. Last time it was during 2002-03.

Bala further informed that this year, the whole of North India i.e. HP, Haryana, Uttaranchal and Punjab had been ravaged by forest fires.

The forest minister instructed that needful instructions be issued to all field staff to be well prepared before the start of the fire season. Extensive fire prevention measures should be taken up to prevent fires and minimise damage in the event of the occurrence of fire.

The minister also issued strict directions to all staff to be totally prepared to do everything needful for timely prevention and control of forest fires as per the Joint Forest Management Policy. 

Amritsar, May 7
In view of irritants between the coalition partners over the allocation of seats for the ensuing Zila Parishad and Block Samiti elections, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today announced to constitute a two-member committee to iron out the difference between the SAD and the BJP.

Badal said the BJP would be represented by minister for local bodies Manoranjan Kalia and the SAD by Dr Daljit Singh Cheema, advisor to the Chief Minister. They would submit their report by tomorrow.

He said the dispute pertained to the allocation of 30 or 35 seats for the Zila Parishad elections and about 200 for the panchayat elections. The matter would be resolved soon after getting the feedback on the winning chances of the candidates.

Commenting on Rajinder Kaur Bhattal’s decision to move the High Court amid the allegations of Congress withdrawals on forged documents, Badal said she had the right to approach the court.

Earlier, while addressing various rallies, Badal reiterated his demand for financial autonomy to the states in the country. He said the Union government had always been biased while allocating funds for the comprehensive development of the states.

Answering queries about the women reservation Bill introduced in Parliament, Badal said the SAD had been in the forefront of demand for reservation for women.

Regarding improvement in the educational standards in the state universities, Badal said a high-level delegation of prominent educationists would visit foreign educational institutions. It would make recommendations to the state to upgrade the universities.

Meanwhile, Badal flagged off a BJP rally from Shaheed Harbans Lal Khanna Smarak besides paying obeisance at Ram Mandir.

Sangrur, May 7
The district unit of the BJP today submitted a complaint to the deputy commissioner for action against four SAD candidates, allegedly posing as SAD-BJP alliance candidates though the BJP is also contesting Zila Parishad (ZP) and Block Panchayat Samiti elections on party symbol (lotus) in those zones.

President of the district unit of the BJP Jatinder Kalra said today he had urged the deputy commissioner to confiscate the election material of these SAD candidates, besides acting against them under the election rules.

Kalra said the BJP was contesting in ZP zone (Andana) and nine Block Panchayat Samitis on its party election symbol, but he had got information from the BJP candidates of ZP’s Andana zone, Block Samiti Kapyal, Block Samiti Sakrodi and Block Samiti Manak Majra that the SAD candidates in these zones were presenting themselves as candidates of the SAD-BJP alliance by way of writing it on the posters and other election material.

Kalra said as these candidates were demanding votes in the name of BJP, despite BJP candidates' presence in the poll fray in their zones, so action should be taken against them. 

Chandigarh, May 7
Breaking the coalition shackles, the BJP has gone all out to spread its wings in the rural Punjab. Its latest evidence is BJP’s insistence to contest the Zila Parishad and Block Samiti elections in rural Punjab without bothering least about how its senior coalition partner, the SAD, a party with a strong rural base, reacts to it.

The SAD’s top leaders tried hard to make the BJP candidates withdraw from the contest, however, owing to limited success on this front, it (SAD) has now termed the contests between the SAD and the BJP as friendly ones.

To enter in the Zila Parishad and Block Samiti elections in a big way is a conscious decision of the BJP, who is not willing to play second fiddle to the SAD for a long period. To broaden its base in rural areas to lessen the dependence on the regional allies is a part of the longtime strategy of the BJP.

With the objective of expanding its base, the BJP has brought about a major shift in its Punjab policy. Even after being a national party, it has taken a strong pro-Punjab stand on issues that had emotional appeal in the state. It supported the Termination of River Waters Act that had engineered a sort of earthquake in the politics of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and even Delhi.

Then it took strong pro-Punjabi language stand in the state Assembly as well as outside it. Almost all BJP MLAs speak in Punjabi in the Assembly and that also in a pure rural dialect. There were times when the BJP was considered a part of anti-Punjabi language lobby. However, new generation of BJP MLAs and leaders, it appears, has no misgivings with regard to the Punjabi language.

However, most significant is the statement made during a recent visit to Canada by Prof Rajinder Bhandari, president of Punjab BJP. He said there that the time was not far when Punjab would have a BJP Sikh leader as Chief Minister of the state. Bhandari visited even those places that moderate Akali leaders do not dare to visit, obviously for fear of Sikh radical elements.

He answered all sort of questions in Canada and urged for bringing those Sikh youths in mainstream that had gone astray in the past. All these statements made by Bhandari had a purpose of sending political message to rural Punjab to enhance his party’s political acceptability and to remove many political cobwebs.

Harjit Singh Grewal, secretary of the national unit of the BJP, said his organisation was a national party and its political goal was to become a representative of all communities in the country and not confine its base to some sections of society. “We want to shed the tag attached to us by the Congress and other rival parties that we only represent urbanites and traders,” said Grewal. For the past few years, the BJP has given a huge importance to Navjot Singh Sidhu to present him as its Sikh leader all over the country. He has now been sent to Karnataka to campaign for the party.

Obviously, new political line adopted by the BJP has sent shivers down the spine of the SAD leaders, who are worried regarding the smooth functioning of the coalition. The SAD, that is now showing its implicit disliking for the BJP for fielding candidates in the Zila Parishad and Samiti elections, had made a strong attempt to consolidate its foothold in urban Punjab during the Assembly elections as well as in the corporation elections.

In fact, in two cities, Ludhiana and Patiala, Mayors belonged to the SAD. However, the BJP should remain prepared to face the situation it made to face the SAD in Zila Parishad elections. The SAD will also demand for a lion’s share in the municipal committee elections due to be held next month.

Amritsar, May 7
Though bail applications of the accused in a case in which a DAV College professor committed suicide on October 3 last, were reportedly rejected by three courts, family of the victim was trying to get the accused arrested.

Parveen Kumar (37), a chemistry professor at DAV College, had committed suicide on the college campus by consuming a poisonous substance. In his suicide note he had named three persons for his death and the murder of his wife Renu and daughter Gayatri.

Harish Kapoor, father of the victim, urged the Chief Minister here today to direct the police to arrest the accused responsible for the killing of his daughter-in-law and granddaughter, besides abetting his son Parveen for suicide. He alleged that the police was dithering on the arrest of the accused under pressure from certain SAD leaders of Faridkot.

However, Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh, SSP, said action was being taken as police parties were hunting to nab the culprits.

Kapoor said the three accused, including Somnath Bembi, Chetan Bembi and Jatin Anand, against whom a case had been registered at E Division police station under Section 306, IPC, fearing arrest had applied for bail in the Sessions Court, Amritsar, the Punjab and Haryana High Court and the Supreme Court. He said the Sessions Court had rejected their bail plea with the opinion “custodial interrogation of the two accused (Jatin and Somnath) is required”. Similarly, the high court and the Supreme Court had also rejected their bail pleas, he added

Gobind, a brother of the victim, said they had also approached the SSP in this regard. He claimed that the SSP had told them there was no need of coming to his office time and again and would take the action on their own against the accused. He alleged that the police in Faridkot under political pressure was also pressuring them to compromise with the accused.

He said if the police failed to arrest the accused, they would be forced to move the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Chandigarh, May 7
Youngsters trekking it to the state police headquarters here only to read the almost permanent sign stating “Bharti band hai” can now hope for being gainfully employed with the Punjab police initiating a social welfare scheme to train rural youth for employment in the private sector.

The move has already seen results with the first batch of 250 rural youth getting two-month training at the police centre at Jahankalan in Hoshiarpur district. The second batch of trainees started their course yesterday even as the Punjab police is on the way of establishing a security training institute at Jahankalan.

DGP N.P.S. Aulakh told The Tribune that the idea had originated following a meeting between the Confederation of Private Security Agencies (CAPSI) and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. He said the organisation had requested that police help in training youth for security services as the government has made it mandatory for the security agencies to employ personnel who have passed a certified test.

Aulakh said CAPSI, while citing the increased demand for private security personnel, had projected a demand for 50 lakh such personnel in the country in the coming years. He said trained security personnel were also in demand in West Asia and security training taken by them could help them in procuring jobs abroad.

The security agencies that had advocated setting up of the training course have already come forward to offer jobs to the candidates who have taken the training. Most of the candidates have been offered placements in the region as well as other states. The course is open to unemployed graduates also, as CAPSI has promised supervisory jobs for those with better qualifications.

The candidates have been trained in wielding weapons, handling emergency situations, including crisis situations like a bomb blast, besides training in handling of metal detectors and basic communication and computer skills.

The Punjab police is gung-ho about the initiative and the Chief Minister has chipped in by allocating Rs 10 crore this year for the establishment of a separate security training institute at Jahankalan through the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB). The trainees only have to pay for their uniforms while their boarding and food expenses will be borne by the state.

Morinda, May 7
The problem of labour shortage in Punjab can not be solved unless Punjab's people stop search for greener pastures abroad and are willing to work in the fields themselves.

Vice-chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) Dr Manjit Singh Kang stated this to The Tribune. He said if Punjabis were reluctant to get back to the fields, mechanisation of the farm sector would be the only way out. "This season's harvesting had witnessed a glut due to lack of adequate labour. Punjabis should stop running abroad for greener pastures and instead should stay back and work hard," he added.

Dr Kang was here to inaugurate the assembly line function of Claas India, a German origin group in combine harvesters. On a few incidents being reported of plantation of paddy nursery before June 15, he said the government should implement the newly constituted rule to save the fast-depleting groundwater of Punjab. Dr Kang revealed that PAU was going to ink a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Claas group to facilitate scholarships for talented students of PAU by the group. The students would be selected for placement with Claas group and sent to Germany for training. Thereafter, these students would be placed with the group in India. It would also include exchange of scientists' and knowledge sharing exercise.

Chandigarh, May 7
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today made it clear any endeavour to tamper with the ecological balance will only invite the wrath of the courts.

Taking a serious view of an attempt made by a Ferozepore Cantonment resident to use the process of the court to destroy the nature’s beauty by seeking directions for chopping a banyan tree, the high court also imposed Rs 10,000 on the petitioner.

In his petition against the State of Punjab, Jalandhar DC, an executive engineer and a station house officer, Sanjeev Kumar had earlier described the tree as a traffic hazard, especially after sunset.

Kumar had claimed the tree on the Mehatapur main road, connecting Jagraon with Nakodar, was blocking the road completely.

After going through the petition, the high court Division Bench of Justice Mehtab Singh Gill and Rakesh Kumar Jain ruled, “Instead of guarding and protecting the fruits of nature, which are dwindling fast, the petitioner wants to use the process of the court, and to make the court a party to destroy the beauty of nature.”

In their detailed order, the Judges added: “A photograph showed the Banyan tree was an old one. We are not in a position to give the age of the tree. But, definitely it appears to be more than 100 years old.” “It is on the side of the road and no part of it, especially roots, do come on any part of the road. No details have been given as to what type of traffic hazard it is creating”.

The Judges added: “The Forest Department, which is the main party, has not been made a party in the present petition. It seems it’s a deliberate attempt on the part of the petitioner,” the Judges further added. “The petitioner does not even live in the vicinity. But, lives more than a 100 km away from the tree”.

Speaking for the Bench, Justice Gill held: “The writ petition is frivolous. It has wasted the time of the court. A fine of Rs 10,000 is imposed upon the petitioner for filing such a frivolous petition. He is directed to deposit it with the High Court Legal Services Authority within 30 days.”

Chandigarh, May 7
In a surprising twist of events, a Ferozepore resident allegedly exploited by a Ludhiana journalist today claimed her brother had been picked up.

Appearing before the Punjab and Haryana High Court Division Bench of Justice M.M. Kumar and Justice Sabina, the counsel for alleged victim Sukhdeep Kaur said the boy had been picked up by journalist Tarsem Lal.

Expressing apprehensions regarding the petitioner’s safety, the counsel added the possibility of forcibly obtaining some affidavit could not be ruled out.

Taking up the application, the Bench directed the state of Punjab to provide adequate security to the petitioner by issuing appropriate directions to the Mohali police as the alleged victim was residing there.

The Bench also allowed the prayer of impleading the CBI as a party. The Judges added the premier investigating agency, through its director, was allowed to be joined as a party respondent. The case would now come up for further hearing on May 15.

Patiala, May 7
Uncertainty regarding appointment of Punjab Technical University (PTU) vice-chancellor, arisen last week with sudden resignation by Dr. S.K. Salwan, might come to an end shortly as Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was likely to decide it Zila Parishad-Panchayat Samiti elections on May 12.

Dr Salwan, a missile scientist of the country who, had worked on several missile projects with former President A.P.J Abdul Kalam resigned on April 28 citing “family compulsions” for his move.

What forced Dr Salwan to quit particularly, when his term was extended in January, 2007 for another three years till February 28, 2010 following Chief Minister Badal’s recommendation in his favour in this regard has surprised all. The VC’s resignation has come at a time when his efforts to make the varisty ‘self-reliant’and getting it new campus apart from ‘depoliticisation’ of the organisation had started bearing results.‘Sudden exit,’ of the vice-chancellor has surprised scholars too.Sources in the PTU indicated the VC had resigned due to ‘growing interference’ in the university from certain quarters and not for family reasons as as cited by the VC . Dr Salwan, it was learnt, was not used to any “pulls and pressures” during his long and happening career hence, had preferred to quit to ‘bow’ to ‘increasing pressures’

Dr Salwan’s resignation, it was learnt, was with the Punjab chief secretary awaiting decision of the Chief Minister amid hush-hush talks Dr Salwan might be asked to continue. Official and the Punjab Technical Education Department sources indicated though a number of aspirants had already joined the race for the top PTU slot and had started canvassing , but, final decision depended upon the Chief Minister who, was likely to take a decision in this regard after the polls.

Moga, May 7
A convict in a murder case, who was released on parole from the Ludhiana jail a few days ago, was allegedly killed by his former jail mates at Puranewala village, which falls under the Mehna police station area in this district.

Police station SHO Sahib Singh told The Tribune that Lakhwinder Singh, alias Raj (38), of the same village, was found in a critical condition outside his residence late last evening. Members of his family took him to the Civil Hospital where he died this morning.

The family had alleged that former jail mates of Lakhwinder had taken him to Mullanpur Dakha last morning for the purchase of shares of some private companies from him.

There was a dispute among them over the payment of money that possibly led to the murder.